THE ROAD. 
On tlie whole, however, travelling by public con- 
veyances was never so secure as it is at the present time. 
Nothing can be more favourable to it than the build 
of the modern coaches. The boots, being let down 
between the springs, keep the load, consequently the 
centre of gravity, low : the wheels of many of them are 
secured by patent boxes ; and in every part of them the 
best materials are used. The cost of coaches of this 
description is from a hundred and thirty pounds to a 
hundred and fifty pounds ; but they are generally hired 
from the maker, at from two pence half-penny to three 
pence per mile. 
The common height of the stage-coach wheels of 
the present day is as follows : the fore-wheels, three 
feet four inches, the hinder, four feet eight inches. As 
the former turn round so much oftener than the latter, 
and also bear more weight, they require to have their 
fellies fresh wrung about every five weeks ; whereas 
the latter will stand good for two months, or more. 
The strength of a wheel depends greatly on the attention 
paid to the arrangement and framing of the spokes. 
In common wheels, they are framed regularly and 
equally all round the thickest part of the nave, the 
tenons of the spokes being so bevelled as to stand about 
three inches out of perpendicular, by which is produced 
the dishing wheel. This dishing, or concave, wheel 
is not essential on our present rutless roads, and 
perpendicular wheels are preferable on level ground. 
The best wheels we know of are those under our 
